John Coltrane (Paperback)

by Bill Cole (Author) "John William Coltrane was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, on September 23, 1926..." (more)
Key Phrases: eighth chorus, fifth chorus, fourth chorus, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Elvin Jones (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Cole offers an infectiously admiring musical biography of the late saxophonist who, even before his death in 1967 at the age of 40, was a legend in the jazz world. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

John Coltrane (1926–1967) was one of the most innovative forces in African- American music. By experimenting with new concepts of time, integrating Eastern philosophies into Western music, and exploring multiphonics and other new sounds on his saxophone, he opened avenues of expression that influenced musicians and composers from jazz to rock to avant-garde.Bill Cole focuses on two aspects of John Coltrane in this provocative study: Coltrane the musician and Coltrane the religious person. Deeply interrelated, both aspects are bound up with Coltrane's identification as an African- American. Coltrane accepted the traditional African belief in the magical powers of sound and connected his music to its African roots via a devout religiosity. Cole shows how Coltrane’s influences extended from tribal tone languages to speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr.—he even adapted King’s rhythmic inflections into a saxophone solo.Bill Cole offers a lengthy musical analysis of Coltrane’s career; it also includes a detailed discography with recording data and personnel and over two dozen photographs. Cole draws on quotes from Coltrane himself, transcriptions of his improvisations, analyses of his music, research into West African religion, and his own personal reminiscences of the man, to offer a stimulating perspective on Coltrane’s music, life, and thought.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 21, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306805308
• ISBN-13: 978-0306805301
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,472,146 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but one-dimensional to Coltrane, October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This is the second book on Coltrane that I have read and, while interesting, it has some failings that make it a better choice as the second or third book that an interested party should read. By deifying Colttrane throughout and treating his every move as perfect one does not get to experience the human side of this great artist whose struggle to become the genius that he was is, in my opinion, far more interesting than the idea that any failings on his part are usually the fault of inferior sidemen and economic circumstances. The emphasis on the work of Fela Sowande is interesting in its own right and I am inclined to find his writings purely for their own merits. The structuring of Coltrane's life around these observations is, unfortunately, a backward construction that fails horribly. Often seeming poorly researched, this book assumes far too much about what may have been influencing Coltrane at various points in his carrer. Interesting, but read a more objective study first.

Also, the omission (or worse, maligning of) white musicians who had an impact on the works of Coltrane and his earlier sideman gigs (notably Bill Evans) is a dis-service to the spirit of the music

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a weak book about a great musician, March 12, 2002

By	"marcjeffrey" (Boulder Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This reads like an academic's thesis which got published without ever being edited for publication. Conversational on one page, professorially pedantic on the next, straining throughout in its effort to contextualize all of Coltrane's work in the writings of Fela Sowande; this is not an especially fun or insightful read. The book's lack of focus extends to even the placement of photographs, which appear throughout the book with no relationship to the choronology of the text. The best passages are Cole's personal recollections of Coltrane, in particular his recount of Coltrane practicing with a friend in a hotel room. For those sections alone, the book is worthwhile for dedicated Coltrane fans. But newcomers to Coltrane about would do far better to pick up Eric Nisenson's "Ascension: John Coltrane and His Quest."

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What he wishes Coltrane was, June 16, 2005

By	Buleman "Buleman" (Washington State USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Coltrane: John Coltrane (Paperback)

This should be the last book on Coltrane you read. This author wrote this book obviously trying to find a niche in the Coltrane story that hadn't been covered. His angle is the spritual side of Coltrane which would have been a good topic if he had any research to support that what he proposes Coltrane thought and felt. He doesn't. This book is pure speculation and the majority of citations to other works are to album liner notes and Downbeat articles. Apparently the author conducted no significant interviews but based on almost no evidence, draws the conclusion that Coltrane thought in the ancient ways of the Nigerian "Traditional man" and was the equivilent to an African medicine man although he admits Coltrane had never been to Africa. He claims it was in Coltranes DNA. Hardly a mention of Coltranes Christian upbringing or that his grandfather was a Christian minister or that his mother was a strong Christian. Hardly a mention of drugs and the effect this habit had on Coltrane's life and music. Read this book last, if at all. I like the Lewis Porter book much better.